Carl Benedict's Counseling Philosophy:
Returning to True Self

The Problem: Life is hard. We like to pretend it isn't, but it is. So many things can go wrong - disappointments, losses, accidents, abuse, trauma, illnesses, and death. We all develop strategies for dealing with emotional pain. Sometimes we are aware of these strategies and sometimes not. Sometimes these strategies are helpful and sometimes they are not.

A particularly grave situation is when tragedy, loss, or abuse occur at an early age - especially when children lack adults to help them cope. Children are forced to enter survival mode, utilizing whatever strategies appear to help them get through the day with little regard for long-term consequences. These short-term solutions can create barriers to obtaining adult goals such as building a family or working successfully. For more information on the aftereffects of a traumatized childhood, go to The Dilemma of the Traumatized Child.

Therapy is a process of re-claiming the repressed or denied parts of yourself so you can become a whole person. In essence, you will be embarking on a journey to your True Self - the person you were meant to be before emotional pain diverted you from your path. For additional information on how therapy can help you do this, go to Johari Window.

As your therapist, I will strive to understand your goals and help you identify barriers to achieving them.  When old coping strategies are found to be outdated, we will build new ones that make your life work better. Therapy, however, is not magic. It requires commitment and work, but the rewards are great as you come to see yourself, other people, and life in more realistic terms and are, thus, able to make better decisions.

Robert Frost wrote, "Our very life depends on everything recurring 'til we answer from within." Like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, we are destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over until we finally "answer from within" and come to know our True Self - free of the gross distortions caused by outdated strategies. Are you ready for the journey? If so, then click on the picture below.